Panel rules Liverpool should have had penalty against Arsenal

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel ruled that Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty after Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak’s shirt during the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield on November 1. The panel also said, by a 3-2 majority, that video assistant referee Stuart Attwell should have recommended an on-field review of the incident.

The five-member panel voted 4-1 that referee Andy Madley should have awarded a penalty for the holding offence. The decision came after Isak tried to reach a cross from Bradley Barcola in the 21st minute. Timber grabbed the Liverpool striker’s shirt, and Madley allowed play to continue. Attwell reviewed the incident but did not recommend that Madley consult the pitchside monitor.

The panel’s majority considered the missed penalty a clear and obvious error warranting VAR intervention. Two members disagreed on that point, citing the subjectivity of judging the pull’s impact and the high threshold for VAR to intervene. One panel member also considered the holding too brief to have a clear effect on Isak’s ability to progress. The panel nevertheless concluded that the challenge met the threshold for a holding offence and should have...